Author: solarenergy
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting recorded increases in electricity prices in all major European markets in the fourth week of April. It also recorded historic daily records for solar energy production in Portugal and Spain. May 1, 2024 Patrick JowettAnalysis from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting showed that electricity prices rose weekly in all major European electricity markets in the fourth week of April.The consultancy said the price increases were driven by a decline in wind energy production in most markets analyzed, in addition to higher demand in some cases.The Portuguese, Spanish and French markets saw the largest increases, 419%, 402% and 181% respectively.…
Martin Roofing & Solar’s patent-pending residential solar mount received certification from UL complying with its fire hazard-related 2703 standard. The hidden-fastening solar mount (HSFM) is the first residential roof solar attachment to be UL 2703 certified that does not penetrate shingles. The hidden-fastening solar mount from Martin Roofing & Solar. “Asphalt shingles are on approximately 75% of America’s single-family homes. On one hand, solar panels work to extend the longevity of shingles by shielding shingles from the harshest weather. On the other hand, solar installations have created countless millions of holes in shingles via the solar systems’ traditional mounting methods,”…
Assembly of solar panels at Maxeon’s factory in Mexico. Maxeon Solar Technologies announced on April 19 that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas REC Solar Holdings And Hanwhaalleging infringement of Maxeon patents relating to TOPCon (tunnel oxide passivated contact) solar cell technology. After purchasing the patents on Solaria’s shingled cell technology last year, Maxeon now owns more than 1,650 issued patents and more than 330 pending patent applications related to interdigitated back contact (IBC), shingled hypercell and TOPCon solar technology. The company announced last year that it is investigating several companies for infringing…
Traditionally, power on the utility grid flows from power plants to customers. By design, however, the grid is equipped to receive small amounts of power from distributed generation systems, like small solar energy installations, which is known as solar interconnection.As alternative energy systems gain popularity, homeowners are increasingly feeding renewable energy to the grid. Allowing the power to flow from customers requires an interconnection agreement with the electric company. In order to receive permission for solar interconnection, certain steps must be completed.As photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems become more widespread, utility companies are gaining experience in approving interconnection applications for…
Researchers in Spain have found that combining PV power generation with fuel cells and battery storage can help homes significantly reduce their levelized energy costs. Their simulation shows that houses can also become completely self-sufficient. May 1, 2024 Lior KahanaA group of researchers from the University of Cantabria in Spain have piloted a self-sufficient home powered solely by solar photovoltaics, batteries and hydrogen storage.“This factory combines PV panels and hydrogen (PVHyP) as a method of seasonal energy storage, achieving the ambitious goal of achieving an electrically self-sufficient social housing unit all year round,” the group said. “To achieve this goal,…
By SB staff April 3, 2024 Industrial activities of Amphenol has brought its new solar products factory online in Mesa, Arizona. Beginning in January, Amphenol began producing and shipping U.S.-made solar junction boxes daily to solar manufacturers and developers across the country.Amfenol’s Mesa solar products factory is home to a dozen state-of-the-art production lines, each with a capacity of approximately 100,000 units per month. Currently, the first line is operational and produces approximately 3,000 solar connection boxes per day. Two more lines are currently being added.The facility is also equipped for the production of connectors and other advanced connection structures…
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has signed a PPA with CI Renewables, an independent developer and owner of large-scale commercial and industrial solar facilities, to establish a solar energy project that will further advance the university toward its goal: a 100% CO2-neutral campus by 2045. CI will design, finance, install, own and operate net-metered solar PV systems on the main level of UMB’s Penn Street Garage and Pearl Garage. “We are pleased to announce our first on-site renewable energy installations,” said UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS. “While UMB has supported PPAs for years, these new solar energy…
Standard Solar along with CQI Associates have partnered with Unity Christian School in Decatur, Illinois, a ministry of the Lutheran School Association, to bring sustainable solar power to its campus located on Mound Road. The project, developed and installed in collaboration with CQI Associates, Straight Up Solar and Lightwave Solar, marks a significant step toward reducing the school’s carbon footprint while enhancing its energy efficiency. Standard Solar is the project’s long-term owner and operator. “We are proud to partner with CQI and Unity Christian School in this endeavor to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and provide an educational platform for students to learn about renewable energy,”…
The solar industry is innovating and developing rapidly. It is also young and still acquiring best practices. Today’s renewable energy developers sometimes rush through the crucial early research phase that developers in older industries, such as utilities and construction, have learned not to overlook. Determining the lay of the land sets the schedule for everything that comes next, including whether a project goes ahead. If done right and early, it can prevent broken schedules and budgets. Here are a few nightmare scenarios: A hasty survey failed to measure the height of the property at 6 feet, and now your site…
Caillau has acquired a majority stake in B&K Solare Zukunft, strengthening its position as a supplier of mounting systems in Europe. March 12, 2024 Gwénaëlle DeboutteBy pv magazine FranceCaillau, a French equipment manufacturer specializing in sealing systems for the automotive and aerospace industries, continues to expand in the PV sector.After the acquisition of AdiWatt in 2021, a French supplier of mounting systems, the group has now taken a majority stake in Germany-based B&K Solare Zukunft, also a supplier of mounting structures for PV installations. B&K Solare Zukunft has two production locations in Gütersloh, Germany and Pęgów, Poland.Caillau and B&K Solare…